THREE STRONG SPRING MEETINGS: A sensational colts’ trial at Newmarket yesterday, and another card there today. Dan Skelton hits back against Willie Mullins and they face off again at Cheltenham with 11 runners between them. Ripon has its Silver Bowl Spring meeting.
TOMORROW: All-Weather Vase day at Lingfield. SATURDAY: Big fields for the Scottish Sprint and Queens Cup at Musselburgh.
GOSDEN STRIKES GOLD AGAIN
JOHN GOSDEN is back in the big time. He set up a new favourite yesterday in a trial he’s never won for a Classic he’s never won.
Field Of Gold’s Craven Stakes victory could be aptly named for Gosden and the Juddmonte connection: the big grey colt’s sire, Kingman, came nearest to a Gosden Guineas in 2014.
He was just touched off by Night Of Thunder (2014), whom he beat six weeks later in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Where the Gosden golden days set Frankie Dettori on a pedestal, Kieran Shoemark is rising jockey star of the stable’s new wave.
Juddmonte have also won the Greenham trial at Newbury with Jonquil, trained by Andrew Balding, and are likely to split them between the English and French Guineas.
Balding continued his hot early-bird streak by winning the super-maiden race, the Wood Ditton, with High Stock.
Daqman warned yesterday that Wood Ditton winners had been worth following in the last six seasons and both High Stock and Archie Watson’s runner-up Spy Kingdom new their jobs really well.
JAZZ JUMPS OUT AT BETDAQ 13.0
⭕ 3.00 Newmarket The ground dried out and the action was all down the stands’ rail yesterday and Noisy Jazz (stall 13), debut winner for James Owen in August, runs from a nice mark here.
Three lengths off hat-trick winner Ashariba over this CD in October, with 97-rated Treasure the runner-up. BETDAQ 13.0 win offers, 3.75pts place.
Watch the previous race today to see how the low stalls fare. They certainly have strength in numbers here.
Bullet Point (William Haggas gate 2) and Tribal Chief (David Menuisier in 1) were one-two on this course in November, and Haggas is the one in form but both have done best on a soft surface so far.
EASTERBYS WANT SPRING CORN
⭕ 3.10 Ripon (Silver Bowl) North v South action is seldom as strong these days as in the glory days of Middleham and Malton and the families Hall and Elsey, but the Easterby empire is still dominant.
Tim Easterby has won this 6f handicap four times in the last nine years, usually with something unexpected (including 12-1 and 40-1).
Stirrup Cup (4) at 35.0 and Spring Corn (5) at 49.0 are big BETDAQ offers, well drawn to resist the William Haggas challenge with Cairdeas. Places 5.0 and 6.5 respectively.
NO STOPPING ‘SAINT’ WILLIE
THE BATTLE OF CHELTENHAM continued.. Willie Mullins (4 runners today) played two on the Silver Trophy card yesterday but Dan Skelton (7 today) trumped them with Riskintheground.
Dan Skelton 3,155,926
Willie Mullins 3,125,165
⭕ 2.45 Cheltenham Paul Nicholls refuses to be left out, though his total earnings (£2,328,346) are threequarters of a million behind the leader.
He is hot on the chances of Jena d’Oudairies, now that the ground has dried again. Back to winning form at Chepstow when stepped up in trip. BETDAQ 7.4.
⭕ 3.55 Cheltenham Another one who can make her mark on Spring ground for Willie Mullins is Saint Tartare by Saint Des Saints, the sire of Protektorat, Djakadam and Fastorslow. Likely to make all. BETDAQ 4.1.
DAQMAN’S BETS on Betdaq Betting Exchange
2.45 Cheltenham (win 30)
BET 4.5pts win JENA D’OUDAIRIES
3.00 Newmarket (win-50 bull’s-eye bets, place win 10)
BET 4.1pts win and 3.5pts place NOISY JAZZ
BET 2pts to win 12 BULLET POINT
3.10 Ripon (win-50 bull’s-eye bets, places win 10)
BET 1.5pts win and 2.5pts place STIRRUP CUP
BET 1pt win and 1.75pts place SPRING CORN
★ 3.55 Cheltenham (win 30, nap)
BET 10pts win SAINT TARTARE
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